1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions, both white and green parts

1. In a medium mixing bowl combine the tuna, mustard, scallion, cornichons, cucumber, tarragon, green peppercorns and avocado.

2. To make the dressing, blend the vinegar, lemon juice and mustard in a small mixing bowl using a whisk. Slowly add the oil, whisking until it is completely emulsified. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning.

3. Combine the dressing with the tuna mixture, blend thoroughly, and spoon it into a small serving bowl. Serve with simple crackers or sliced French bread toasts. Garnish with chopped scallion.

Quick Appetizer Ideas

You can embellish the flavors of store-bought items with flavor enhancers such as lemon juice, good quality olive oil, fresh or dried herbs, mustards, or balsamic and other flavored vinegars. Whatever you do, just remember that creating these taste teasers should be presented with a touch of style, in a pretty crock, in a basket or on an unusual platter.

Try these ideas:

--Triangle or log of goat cheese with roasted red peppers in olive oil spooned over and garnished with chives or parsley.

--Endive spears filled with herbed cream cheese, salsa, shrimp or smoked fish pate.

--Toasted French bread slices topped with soft goat cheese and a dollop of store-bought onion marmalade .

--Easy vegetable salsa with toasted tortilla chips: Add chopped vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, jicama, radishes or sweet red or yellow bell peppers to a store-bought fresh tomato salsa. Add ripe chopped avocado right before serving.

--Packaged parmesan toasts topped with store-bought tapenade and/or sun-dried tomato pesto.

--Sliced and grilled country bread topped with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, cucumber and kalamata olives.

--Fresh mozzarella cheese garnished with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

--Grilled shrimp on wooden skewers marinated with lime juice, olive oil and seasoning salt.

--Grilled pesto-marinated bay scallops on wooden skewers drizzled with balsamic glaze.

--Store-bought hummus and tzatziki (yogurt-cucumber dip) with toasted and quartered sesame pita bread.

--A bowl of mixed olives marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and zest and fresh herbs.

--A trio of store-bought or homemade pestos with assorted crispy toasts.

--A puree of cream cheese, smoked fish, dill weed and lemon juice served with water crackers.

--Cheese and chili quesadillas with a dollop of tomato salsa.

--Cucumber slices garnished with smoked salmon spread.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)